Tile-laying machine



(No Model.)

J. McMULLIN.

TILE LAYING MACHINE.

, Patented Dec. 14., 1886.

WIMP

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH MOMULLIN, OF CASEY, IOWA.

TILE-LAYING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 3 dated December 1835-Application filed September 1,1886. Serial No. 212,403. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osnrn MoMULLIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Casey, in the county of Guthrie and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Tile-Laying Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in tile-layingmachines; and itconsists of the peculiar combination and novel construction andarrangement of the various parts for service, substantially ashereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved tile-laying machineof simple and cheap construction which shall displace a minimum quantityof earth during the operations of laying the tile, and thereby renderthe apparatus more easy to operate, to provide an improved pliable oryielding carrier for the drain-tiles which shall be capable of swervingfrom one side to the other in order to avoid obstructions in its path,and to provide improved means for adjusting the share and cut tervertically during the progress of the machine, so that the tiles can belaid on a level and the apparatus can accommodate itself to unevensurfaces of the ground.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is an elevation of my improvedtile-laying apparatus, showing it connected with a capstan for drawingit along. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the plow proper.Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional View through the plow on the line00a; of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view throughthe cable and carriers, together with the tiles on the latter, in orderto show the position of the tiles.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denotecorresponding parts in all the figures, A designates the plow of myimproved tile-laying machine, which is connected by a chain or cable, B,with a capstan or other source of power, 0, so that the plow and thedevices connected therewith and operated thereby are drawn along, thecapstan or other power machine being ofany approved pattern; but as thismechanism does not form a part of my present improvements, I have notdeemed it necessary to more fully describe the same herein.

The plow A of my improved tile-laying machine has a beam, D, to thefront end of which the eableB is connected, and this beam is provided ator near its rear end with a longitudinal slot, (1, through which passesthe vertically-disposed cutter or standard E. This cutter or standard Eis arranged at a slightly inclined position, and the front edge thereofis beveled or inclined on opposite sides to form a sharpenedcutting-edge e, which will readily penetrate the earth as the plow isdrawn along by the capstan or other power machine C. This standard orcutter is capable of a vertical adjustment, in order to raise or lowerthe foot or share F, that is affixed to the lower extremity thereof, andadapt the latter to enter the earth to a greater or less degree. Theupper end of this vertically-adjustable cutterstandard is provided withlaterally-projecting pins or studs d, to which are connected the lowerends of links or rods which aresecured at their opposite upper ends to afollower plate or disk, g, which has a transverse opening through whichpasses the lower end of an elevating-screw, G. The lower end of thiselevating-screw carries the follower plate or disk in its adjustments,and the upper end of the said screw has an enlarged head, which is to begrasped and operated by hand. The said screw works in a threadedopening, h, formed transversely through a yoke or support, H, that isrigidly secured upon the upper side of the beam of the plow A, andstraddles the upper end of the vertically-adjustable cutter-standard.

I I designate friction-rollers,which are journaled on suitable shafts,i, that are secured in the sides of the slot (1 of the beam D, and thesefriction-rollers are arranged in the said slot and on opposite sides ofthe cutter-standard, so that the latter will impinge against the rollersin its adjustment, which thereby hold the standard out of contact withthe sides of the slot and insure the easy and rapid adjust ment thereofwhen the elevating-screw is operated, as will be very readilyunderstood.

The foot or share F of the plow A is made substantially circular in format its rear end,

and it is tapered and inclined at its front end to provide a sharpenedcutting-edge, f, which will readily penetrate the earth when the plow isdrawn along. The rear end of this foot or share is made of a size incross-section equal to the diameter of the tiles that are to be laid,and the said rear end of the foot is chambered or hollowed out to form achamber, F, into which the first drain-tile of the series that are to belaid is fitted or placed, as presently described.

J designates a draft-link, which is rigidly secured in the closed end ofthe chamber F- of the share or foot, and this draft-link projectsrearwardly from the closed end of the chamber and beyond the rear end ofthe share or foot, where it is provided with a hook or eye, f, to whichis connected the forward end of a chain or cable, K, which carries theblocks or supports L for the drain-tiles. This chain or cable is madeflexible, so that it will swerve to one side or the other andaccommodate itself to the direction which the plow is drawn along,whereby the tiles can be laid in straight, curved, or angular lines, asmay be desired or necessary, according to the nature of the ground orthe place where the tiles are to be laid. The blocks L for thedrain-tiles are made cylindrical or of other desired form to correspondwith the shape of the tiles to be laid, and these carriers are affixedto the chain or cable so that they always occupy the same relativeposition to the said cable. The blocks are arranged out of contact witheach other at their contiguous edges so as to leave intermediate spaces,whereby they are free to accommodate themselves to the direction assumedby the chain or cable, as will be very readily understood,

This being the construction of my improved drain-tile-laying machine,the operation thereof is as follows: The tiles that are to be laid arefirst placed upon the blocks of the chain or cable, the latter beingdetached from the foot or share for this purpose. The blocks or supportsL for the tiles are of slightly smaller diameter than the tiles, so thatthe blocks will readily and freely pass out of the tiles after thelatter have been laid. After the tiles have been properly fitted on theblocks or supports a stop, M, is adjusted on the extreme rear end of thecable, and held in place thereon by a transverse pin, m, which is passedthrough one of the links of the chain or cable and bears against thesaid stop. The stop is provided with a chamber or recess, m, in whichfits the rear end of the last block or support of the series carried bythe chain or cable, and the stop is of greater diameter than thecombined diameter of the last block of the series and the tile thereon,so that the tiles will be prevented from slipping off the blocks whenthe machine is drawn through the earth in order to lay the tiles. Thechain or cable is connected to the draft-link of the foot or plow afterthe tiles and stop are secured thereon, and the cable B V is thenconnected to the plow-beam. Power is now exerted by the capstan on thecable to draw the plow and cable along to the required distance untilall of the tiles are properly laid, a hole or opening having been firstdug into the earth to the proper depth to permit the share or foot ofthe plow and the'cable, with the tiles,to enter the earth to the properdepth. After the tiles have all been properly laid, the key is removedto permit the detachment of the stop, and the plow is again drawn alongby the capstan to withdraw the blocks or supports L from the tiles thathave been laid. A new section of chain or cable, with the tilesthereon,is connected to the rear end of the first section that has 3'ust laid its tiles, the stop again secured to the rear end of the newsection of chain or cable, and the plow again drawn along to lay thetiles of the second section of the cable. This operation is. repeateduntil the desired length of line of tiles has been laid, or until theplow reaches the capstan, when the latter is moved or adjusted to a newposition to adapt the apparatus for service. The share andcutter-standard of the plow enter the earth to the proper depth, whichcan be regulated by adjusting the screw, and the depth to which theshare enters the earth can be varied while the plow is in transit bysimply turning the screw, this latter operation not being interferedwith by the forward progress of the plow.

A drain-tile-laying machine constructed in accordance with my inventionis capable of laying a very great number of tiles in a short time anddisplace a comparatively small quantity of earth, so that the plow iscapable of operation at a less expenditure of labor andower. p Havingthus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a drain-tile-laying machine, the combination of a slottedplow-beam, a verticallyadjustable cutter-standard passing through theslot of the beam, a yoke carried by thebeam, an elevating-screw workingin the yoke and connected with the standard, a share or foot affixed tothe standard, and the chain or cable having the blocks and connected tothe share or foot, substantially as described.

2. In a drain-tile-lay'ing machine, the combination of a slottedplow-beam, a verticallyadjustable cutter-standard passing through theslot of the beam, a yoke secured to the beam and straddling the upperend of the standard, an elevating-screw Working in the yoke, a followerplate or disk carried by the screw, the links intermediate of thefollower-plate and the standard, a share or foot secured to thestandard, and a chain or cable connected to the foot and having theblocks, substantially as described.

3. In a drain-tile-laying machine, the combination of the slottedp10W-beam,the "ertical- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 10iy-adjustable cutter-standard passing through my own I have heretoaffixed my signature in the slot of the beam, the friction-rollerslocated presence of two witnesses.

on opposite sides of the standard and housed Y 5 within the slot of thebeam, an elevating-screw JOSEPH MOMULLIN.

connected to the standard, a foot or share carried by the standard, anda chain or cable con- \Vitnesses: neeted to the foot and having theblocks, sub- W. 0. SMITH,

stantiaily as described. J OHN ADRES.

